GOL 737 MAX Premium Economy: Friendly Service, Bad Food

Hello from Brazil! After flying Boliviana de Aviacion’s A330 business class from Miami (MIA) to Santa Cruz de le Sierra (VVI), I connected onto GOL’s Boeing 737 MAX premium economy to Sao Paulo (GRU), which was a 2hr50min flight.

GOL is a major player in Brazil, and American Airlines even has a stake in the carrier, and a partnership. So I was curious to check out GOL’s most premium product, marketed as premium economy.

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In this post I wanted to share my initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review. Long story short, there were things I liked and things I didn’t like, though unfortunately I didn’t really get the “standard” product, it seems.

GOL’s 737 MAX premium economy is economy with blocked middles

GOL’s premium economy product is found in the first five rows of the carrier’s Boeing 737s. It’s the same seats as in economy, except the middle seats are blocked, meaning that there are a total of 20 seats.

So the blocked middle seat setup is similar to intra-Europe business class, except in this case there’s no curtain between premium economy and economy. The only way to know the difference is that the placards with row numbers were in dark blue in premium economy, and in orange in economy.

That means there’s no dedicated lavatory for premium economy, and for that matter, the economy passengers see all the things that they’re not getting (though there’s not much to be jealous of). 😉

Now, here’s a quirk. When I boarded, I had a sense of what GOL’s 737 MAX interiors are supposed to look like, including the heavy use of orange. But instead I found seats with… blue trim?!

I looked up the registration code of my jet. It was PS-GPO, and it was a five-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8 that only started flying for GOL back in late 2023. The jet was actually built back in 2019, and the story is that it was intended for China’s Donghai Arlines, but the airline ultimately didn’t take delivery of it. As a result, GOL acquired it, given that the airline was dealing with its own 737 MAX delivery delays.

This has the same general layout as GOL’s other 737 MAXs, as it also has 186 seats, in a 3-3 configuration. However, there are also some key differences — there were no personal device holders, the jet wasn’t equipped with Wi-Fi, etc.

I get that airline operations are challenging, though I find it a bit frustrating when you’re expecting one kind of product (including streaming entertainment and Wi-Fi), and then end up on a plane with a different product. For example, GOL advertises that premium economy has 50% more recline, but I can’t imagine this cabin had 50% more recline?

Legroom was okay for economy, but also wasn’t particularly generous. I’m not the tallest dude, but my legs were basically pushed up against the seat in front.

Each seat did have a USB-A plug, which isn’t particularly useful for most, with the increasing transition to USB-C.

While of no significance, I found it surprising how the bulkhead had both the GOL logo, as well as the Air France-KLM logo. I know Air France-KLM has a small stake in the airline, but does anyone know the backstory of this? American also has a stake in the carrier, and its name isn’t on the bulkhead…

GOL’s premium economy food isn’t good, drinks are okay

So, what special amenities do GOL premium economy passengers get? Before boarding, each premium economy passenger was presented with a bottle of water.

Then after takeoff, the flight attendant walked through the cabin with a tray that had the option of sparkling wine or some sort of sparkling apple juice. That’s a nice, premium touch (the existence of this kind of service, and not the taste of the sparkling wine, just to be clear), and I appreciated how quickly after takeoff it was served. It’s also nice how proper glassware is used.

Then after takeoff, a snack was served. This came on a tray, and by the time they got to my row, the only option was a mortadella and cheese sandwich (I think there may have been a vegetarian option otherwise). On the plus side, the chocolate dessert thing was quite tasty.

So, I don’t eat pork, for one. But even if I did, well, I probably wouldn’t eat this. I mean, I know American owns a stake in GOL, but I didn’t realize that included advising on catering. 😉

It’s my understanding that GOL serves these kinds of sandwiches on just about all of its flights of this length in premium economy. So if that’s up your alley, you’re in for a treat. If not, make sure you eat before you board, or bring your own snack.

My seat mate very much seemed to enjoy the sandwich, and kept dipping the bread in the sparkling apple juice he was served. Is that some sort of Brazilian thing, or did this guy make up his own unique combination?

GOL offers unlimited drinks in premium economy, with options including soft drinks, coffee, tea, water, wine, and beer (though I don’t believe there’s any liquor).

There were constant drink refills, and after the meal I ordered a coffee. I asked for a coffee with a little milk, but the flight attendant explained that unfortunately they only either had black coffee, or a very sugary coffee, which she described as “fat coffee” (lol?). My seat mate was downing these, and highly recommended them, so I figured I’d order one of each, and mix the two.

Yes, a super sugary hot drink is delicious, I can confirm. But I do wish they just had a little bit of milk or creamer, for those of us who prefer something in our coffee, but don’t like it sweet.

GOL’s flight attendants are great

Based on my flight with GOL, I was very impressed by the crew. All the crew members were genuinely professional, friendly, and detail oriented, both with service and safety. I think most Brazilians or people who have flown GOL know this, but I imagine that some people who may not have flown with the airline before may wonder.

GOL runs a reliable operation, so it very much feels like a full service, network carrier. In particular, the lead flight attendant was very charming, and she worked nonstop in the premium economy cabin, offering passengers as many drinks as they wanted.

Is GOL premium economy worth it?

Each region of the world has a different standard when it comes to what’s considered an acceptable product. Just compare business class on a short flight within Asia, to business class on a short flight within Europe.

In the case of Latin America, some (but not all) airlines have premium economy as their top product on regional narrow body flights, rather than business class. For example, LATAM also doesn’t have a “proper” business class on its narrow body jets.

So, what’s my take on GOL’s premium economy, and is it worth it? The way I see it, the single biggest benefit is an empty seat next to you. If that’s something you value and if the price premium is reasonable, then it could be worth it.

I personally don’t at all value the meal service, though having free drinks and a friendly, dedicated flight attendant is nice.

The good thing about GOL premium economy is that it’s often reasonably priced, so the premium isn’t huge. For example, if redeeming American AAdvantage miles on this route, economy would cost 12,500 miles, while premium economy would cost 17,500 miles. I think an extra 5,000 miles for those extra perks represents good value.

Meanwhile if paying cash on this route, premium economy is only an extra $74.70 over the (fairly high) $249.90 economy “light” fare. So again, I’d say that’s a solid value.

GOL has a huge network to, from, and within Brazil, so in many cases the carrier will be the best option. When you do fly with GOL, there’s something to be said for booking premium economy, but just manage your expectations.

Bottom line

My GOL premium economy flight didn’t go exactly as I had hoped, given that the flight was operated by an aircraft that was initially intended for Donghai Arlines, and therefore had slightly different interiors, and no Wi-Fi or entertainment. I found that to be disappointing, since I was hoping to be able to get the “true” GOL experience, and also to stay productive during the flight.

However, aside from that, I had a generally favorable impression of GOL. The crew was friendly, the cabin was clean and bright, and the service flow was good. However, I really think GOL needs to mix up its food a bit, because those sandwiches are not tasty, in my opinion.

On the plus side, GOL charges a reasonable premium for its premium economy, so you really can’t complain for what you get.

What’s your take on GOL’s premium economy experience, and do you think it’s worth it?